The invention relates to an air intake adjusting system for a motor vehicle, and to a motor vehicle equipped with such an air intake adjusting system.
In most current motor vehicles, a radiator grille is generally arranged on the front side of the motor vehicle, through which radiator grille an air current can flow in the direction of a radiator arranged in the engine compartment of the motor vehicle.
For taking over various functions, it is known from the state of the art to further develop the radiator grille such that it can be opened and closed.
The closing of the radiator grille has, for example, the function of improving the aerodynamic features of the motor vehicle. Such a radiator grille is known from German Patent Document DE 10 2009 039 038 A1. In the case of this radiator grille, a plurality of flaps are provided which can be rotated for opening and closing the radiator grille. In the closed position of the radiator grille, the flaps are arranged side-by-side and together form a uniform surface, adjacent flaps not being in contact with one another.
The radiator grille known from this patent document comprises an adjusting mechanism for rotating the flaps, the adjusting mechanism having to operate very precisely, so that the flaps arranged side-by-side form a uniform surface in the closed position of the radiator grille.
Furthermore, one gap respectively is formed between adjacent flaps, rain water or snow being able to penetrate into this gap unhindered. This may have the result that, during the cold season, adjacent flaps freeze to one another or are blocked by snow which accumulates in the respective gap which, on the whole, may lead to faulty functions of the radiator grille.
Furthermore, by means of the radiator grille known from the state of the art, the air flow pattern of the motor vehicle can be influenced only slightly.
It is an object of the invention to create an air intake adjusting system, which is improved at least in partial aspects, and/or to create an alternative air intake adjusting system.
An air intake adjusting system, particularly a radiator grille, according to the invention comprises a plurality of struts which are arranged at distances from one another and can each be rotated about an axis of rotation such that, in a first position of the struts, the air intake adjusting system is open and, in a second position of the struts, the air intake adjusting system is closed.
The struts each have a rotating section, through which the axis of rotation of the respective strut extends, and a flap section, which extends from the rotating section and, in the second position, rests against the rotating section of an adjacent strut, the rotating sections of the struts each having a first side and a second side which, when the struts are in the second position, converge against an intended approach flow direction of the air intake adjusting system such that they form an approach flow edge.
This means that the first and second sides form planes and/or surfaces which, in the cross-sectional view of the rotating section, converge against the intended approach flow direction of the air intake adjusting system such that, in the area, in which they abut, they form the approach flow edge. In this context, the approach flow edge is not necessarily a line or sharp edge but may also be a rounding formed in this area.
In the event that, in the cross-sectional view of the rotating section, the first and second side, for example, each have a radius or form concave surfaces, the approach flow edge is an area in which the first and second side abut or converge while changing their radii, i.e. the first and second side change their curvature behavior.
In the event that the first and second side, in the cross-sectional view of the rotating section, for example, each have a radius such that they form convex surfaces, the approach flow edge is an area in which the first and second side abut or converge while changing their radii.
The rotating sections of the air intake adjusting system may each be constructed such that the first side has a larger approach flow cross-section than the second side.
The approach flow cross-sections of the first sides of adjacent struts may differ such that the approach flow cross-sections increase in an arrangement direction of the struts.
When the struts are in the second position, the first sides preferably each face the flap section of an adjacent strut and the second sides each face the flap section corresponding to their strut.
In the second position of the struts, the flap sections rest against the side of the adjacent strut facing away from the approach flow edge.
In a preferred embodiment of the air intake adjusting system according to the invention, the flap sections each extend from a side of the rotating sections facing away from the approach flow edge on one side, and in the cross-section of the strut in a straight line such that, when the struts are in the second position, surfaces are formed between the rotating sections of the struts with respect to which the first and second sides are sloped in such a manner that they form the approach flow edges.
When the struts are in the first position, the side facing away from the respective approach flow edge and the first side preferably converge against the intended approach flow direction of the air intake adjusting system in such a fashion that they form an additional approach flow edge.
As a result of this design of the air intake adjusting system according to the invention, it is additionally achieved that the air intake adjusting system can be further developed such that, in the installed condition, it has the same visual effect in the first and second position of the struts. For example, when the air intake adjusting system in the form of a radiator grille is arranged on a front side of a motor vehicle, the space between the struts appears uniformly dark or black in the first position of the struts, because, in most cases, the elements behind the radiator grille are not colored. When the struts are rotated into the second position, the flap elements will close off the spaces and form a uniform surface, which is visually similar to the condition where the struts are in the first position. Furthermore, the rotating sections form an approach flow edge in both positions of the struts; i.e. the rotating sections also have the same visual effect in both positions of the struts. As indicated in the above, the air intake adjusting system according to the invention is advantageous in that it can easily be used in the visual range of a motor vehicle.
The distances between the struts may be larger in an upper area of the struts than in a lower area of the struts.
In an area with which they rest against the rotating section of the adjacent strut in the second position of the struts, the flap sections may have an elevation, by which a reduction of the contact surfaces of the rotating or flap sections is achieved.
The air intake adjusting system according to the invention may have a first group of struts and a second group of struts, in which case, the struts of the first group are rotated for the adjustment between the first and the second position in the opposite direction with respect to the struts of the second group.
A motor vehicle according to the invention comprises an air intake adjusting system according to the invention, particularly in the shape of a radiator grille.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.